Nutating disc pumps



June 6, 1967 R. c. FORD NUTATING DISC PUMPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2, 1965 III FIG. 5.

' lnventor-:-

Reginald Clarence Ford Attorneys June 1967 R. c FORD 3,323,466

NUIATING DISC PUMPS Filed Nov. 2, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet Inventor:- Reginald Clarence Ford wmow, c3314., M v wax Attorneys June 1967 R. c. FORD I r 3,323,466

' NUTATING DISC PUMPS Filed Nov 2, 1965 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 77'- 7 50 50 mm 14 75a 7 I l I 1/ x I i I I I, I f I I I I I I Inventor:-

Reginald Clarence Ford Attorneys United States Patent 3,323,4sr NUTATING DISC PUMPS Reginaid Clarence Ford, 56 Sevenoaks Road, Urpington, Kent, England Filed Nov. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 506,044 3 (Ilaims. (Cl. 1il3133) This invention relates to pumps of the nutating disc type that is to say in which a disc-like pumping member is arranged to be actuated for rocking movement substantially about its centre in a universal and progressive manner relative to two pumping chambers one at each side of the pumping member and of complementary form to such nutating movement whereby angul'arly moving local contact or proximity of the pumping member with the chamber form creates suction at an inlet to the chambers and effects fluid propulsion to an outlet therefrom, whilst shutter means radially disposed in relation to the pumping member separates the inlet and the outlet from direct communication with one another.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction of pump of the abovementioned kind with a view to obtaining efiicient and reliable operation in the pumping of a wide variety of fluids such as gases or liquids (including semi-solids or sludges) or as a compressor for air or other gas compressing purposes. Other practical advantages will be apparent from the following disclosure.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation in axial plane section of a pump of the type referred to and embodying this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan View partly broken away to reveal construction;

FIGURE 3 is a detail outer end view on an enlarged scale of the shutter means carried by the pumping member of the pump;

FIGURE 4 is a detail cross section also on an enlarged scale showing the mounting of the shutter means on the pumping member; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view of toothed engagement.

Referring to the drawings the pumping member consists of a flat disc I mounted for nutating movement in the body 2 of the pump which latter provides a hollow interior housing the disc 1.

The pump body 2 is shown consisting of two recessed circular plates 3, 3 in the form of castings or mouldings (e.g., in glass fibre) and containing the disc 1 between them, the plates 3, 3 being bolted together at 3a in a fluidtight manner, a sealing ring being provided at 3s. The disc 1 is shown consisting of a metal core plate 1a having a non metallic covering 1b (e.g., of glass fibre).

For obtaining nutating movement of the disc 1 an axial sleeve 4 fast therewith is carried for relative rotation by an inclined portion 5 of the driving shaft 8.

The disc 1 co-operates with an inner pumping chamber face or formation 6 provided by each plate 3 and in the arrangement shown a pumping chamber is defined between the disc 1 and each plate 3, the chambers 7, 7 being separated from one another in a fluidtight manner by the disc 1.

Having regard to the nutating movement of the disc 1 each face 6 is of complementary conical form, i.e., in a direction convex to the disc 1 so that as the latter is rocked, local contact or proximity of the disc 1 with each conical face 6 in eifect advances round said face 6 in an angular manner according to the direction of nutation of the disc 1.

Such local contact or proximity is of substantially radial line or narrow band form and as it travels angularly in relation to each conical face 6 an increasing volume cfice feet follows such travel (creating suction) whilst a decreasing volume efI'ect precedes said travel causing fluid propulsion. By providing each chamber 7 with suitable inlet and outlet means 9, 10 as hereafter described, suction is created at the inlet 9 and fluid expulsion to the outlet 10 simply by the non-rotatable rocking or nutation of the disc 1 in the manner referred to above. Although the disc 1 only rocks a rolling action is in effect obtained.

The travelling line of contact or proximity of the disc 1 in one pumping chamber 7 is at to that in the other chamber 7 so that a balanced dual pumping action is obtainable, whilst the periphery of the disc works in a fluidtight manner relative to a suitably curved inner peripheral wall 3c of the pump body interior as provided by the flanges 3b of the plates 3, 3. The disc 1 is shown provided with a sealing ring 1c of anti-friction material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Each pumping chamber 7 is provided with inlet and outlet ports 9, 10 adjacent one another in the corresponding plate 3 (see FIG. 2) but separated from direct communication with one another by shutter means carried by the disc 1.

The shutter means is shown consisting of two radial shutter blades 11, 11 extending edgewise from each face of the disc 1 and each arranged to work in a substantially fluidtight manner in a slot 12 in an adjacent plate 3 be tween the inlet and outlet ports 9, 10 of the corresponding chamber 7. As the disc 1 performs its nutating movement the shutter blades 11, 11 slide in their slots 12, 12 maintaining a substantially fluidtight division directly between the inlet and outlet ports 9, 10 so that fluid can only pass by the action of the disc 1 from inlet '9 to outlet 10.

Having regard to the nutating movement of the disc 1 the shutter blades 11, 11 have a substantially fluidtight pivotal connection with the disc 1 whilst they also serve to constrain the disc 1 against rotation relative to the pump body 2. The shutter blades 11, 11 are shown secured to the disc 1 by pins or screws 13 connecting one shutter blade '11 to the other through holes 14 in the disc 1, the screws 13 being located in a substantially fluidtight manner and for required angular movement relative to the holes 14 by means of balls 15 thereabout working in bearings 15a which are in turn located in the holes 14. For desired anti-friction action in this respect the balls 15 are preferably of stainless steel Working in bearings 15a of PTFE which bearings are split diametrically into two halves for assembly purposes whilst each pair of bearings 15a is externally of square shape for fluidtight location in the holes 14 which are of corresponding square form.

The blades 11, 11 seat in .a fluidtight manner against the disc 1 or facing 1b of the latter by recessed edges 16 of corresponding concave curvature to their pivotal movement which recessed edges 16 co-operate with radial formations or grooves 17 of complementary convex'ly curved form at each side of the disc 1. The ends of the bearings 15a also provide a continuity of the curvature of the grooves 17.

In order to further ensure their fluidtight operation between the inlet and outlet ports '9, 10 outer curved edges of the shutter blades 11, 11 are shown working at their outer edges in a slot 18 in the inner peripheral wall 30 provided by the flanges 3b of the plates 3, 3. If desired the blades 11, 11 may be connected or integral where they work in the slot 18.

The inner edges of the blades 11, 11 are curved for oo-operation with a part spherical formation about the centre of the disc 1 and provided by a pair of rings 19, 19, e.-g., of PTFE fast with the latter, which rings 19, 19 co-operate with complementary spherical formation 3d at the interior of the plates '3, 3 for providing location of the disc 1 for its nutating movement and also sealing of the chambers 7, 7 from the shaft mounting 4, of the disc 1.

The rings 19, 19 also serve to clamp flexible sealing sleeves 20, of rubber or other suitable material to the disc 1, the outer parts of the flexible sleeves 2t), 20 being clamped in a fluidtight manner to the plates 3, 3 to provide further or secondary sealing of the chambers 7, 7 from the shaft mounting so that it is virtually impossible for fluid in the chamber 7, 7 to reach the shaft mounting 4, 5 which is thus isolated from the chambers 7, 7.

The outer parts of the flexible sleeves 20, 20 are shown clamped to the plates 3, 3 by plugs 21 received in tubular extensions 3e of the plates 3, 3 which plugs 21 provide bearing support for the shaft 8 such as by anti-friction needle bearings 22, similar bearings 23 being provided between the inclined shaft portion 5 and the sleeve 4. The plugs 21 are shown secured relative to the tubular extensions 36 by end caps 24.

For pumping the same fluid via both pumping chambers 7, 7 the inlet ports 9 communicate with one another (e.g., externally of the pump body 2) and likewise the outlet ports 10 but if desired each pumping chamber 7 may be used independently such as for the pumping of two different fluids simultaneously by the same pump in which event the inlet ports 9 and outlet ports 10 are not so communicated.

The dual pumping arrangement described and shown is preferred since it provides double the capacity for the pump and where the same fluid is pumped via both chamber 7, 7 and through both inlet ports 9 and both outlet ports 10 there is an absence or minimum of pulsation in the fluid output from the pump due to the balanced dual action.

Referring to FIG. 4 and in a desirable development of the pump the surfaces of the disc 1 or facing 1b thereof is radially toothed at 50 for co-operation with radial teeth 51 on the conical face 6 of each plate 3.

Such toothed engagement further ensures intimate substantially fluidtight co-operation of the disc 1 with the conical surfaces 6 and in the example shown buttress form toothing 50, 51 is employed with the inclined flanks 50a of the disc toothing 50 facing in the direction of mutation of the disc 1 so as to assist in forward propulsion of fluid to outlet.

The arrangement is preferably such that when the teeth 50 of the disc fully engage the teeth 51 of each face 6 the crests of the teeth 50 do not reach the roots of the teeth 51 so that substantially fluidtight engagement is obtained with a minimum of friction. For quiet operation facing of the disc 1 and/or of each plate 3 at 6 may be of resilient material such as a suitable rubber.

As will be evident from the drawings the pump can be readily taken apart for cleaning and inspection purposes whilst the parts of the pump may be produced from any suitable material. Thus by employing plates 3, 3 the disc facing 1b, the shutters 11, 11 and the rings 19, 19 of suitable non-metallic material pumping of acids or other liquids which would otherwise corrode metal parts can be readily carried out. If desired the plates 3, 3 may be of light transmitting or transparent material so that fluid flow through the pump can be observed.

I claim:

1. A pump of the character described comprising a pump body having a hollow interior and having inlet and outlet ports thereto; a disc-like pumping member mounted for driving mutating movement substantially about its center in the pump body, said hollow interior defining two pumping chambers, one at each side of the pumping member, said pumping chambers being of complementary form to the nutating movement of said pumping member; and two shutters radially disposed to the pumping member, one at each side thereof, slots formed in the pump body between said inlet and outlet ports for operatively receiving said shutters; said pumping member having a radially extending formation of convex curvature on opposite sides of the pumping member, each said shutter having a radially extending inner edge of corresponding recessed concavely curved form for seating on said formation; a plurality of bearings mounted in said pumping member along said formation, said bearings having an aperture passing therethrough and a hollow spherical socket along said aperture in the plane of said pumping member; a plurality of pins securing said shutters together, each pin passing through a respective one of said apertures of said bearings; and a ball on each of said pins cooperating with the spherical socket of the respective bearing, whereby said pumping member is capable of angular movement with respect to said shutters.

2. A pump according to claim 1 wherein each end of the bearing in the pumping member is convexly curved to provide a continuity of the convex curvature of the radial formation on the corresponding side of the pumping member, each end of said bearing cooperating with the concavely curved recessed radial edge of the corresponding shutter.

3. A pump according to claim 1 wherein is provided a radially toothed face on each side of the pumping member, said hollow interior of said pump body being formed with complementary radially toothed faces, said radially toothed faces being of buttress tooth form with the inclined flanks of the pumping member teeth facing in the direction of fluid flow through the pump so as to improve the sealing engagement between said pumping member and said hollow interior.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 599,494- 2/1898 Dodge 9178 608,168 8/1898 Bassett 9178 1,323,907 12/1919 Pennink 91-78 2,489,041 11/1949 Manseau 230-148 2,496,668 2/1950 Manseau 230 148 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

WILBUR I. G OODLIN, Examiner, 

1. A PUMP OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A PUMP BODY HAVING A HOLLOW INTERIOR AND HAVING INLET AND OUTLET PORTS THERETO; A DISC-LIKE PUMPING MEMBER MOUNTED FOR DRIVING NUTATING MOVEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY ABOUT ITS CENTER IN THE PUMP BODY, SAID HOLLOW INTERIOR DEFINING TWO PUMPING CHAMBERS, ONE AT EACH SIDE O THE PUMPING MEMBER, SAID PUMPING CHAMBERS BEING OF COMPLEMENTARY FORM TO THE NUTATING MOVEMENT OF SAID PUMPING MEMBER; AND TWO SHUTTERS RADIALLY DISPOSED TO THE PUMPING MEMBER, ONE AT EACH SIDE THEREOF, SLOTS FORMED IN THE PUMP BODY BETWEEN SAID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS FOR OPERATIVELY RECEIVING SAID SHUTTERS; SAID PUMPING MEMBER HAVING A RADIALLY EXTENDING FORMATION OF CONVEX CURVATURE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PUMPING MEMBER, EACH SAID SHUTTER HAVING A RADIALLY EXTENDING INNER EDGE OF CORRESPONDING RECESSED CONCAVELY CURVED FROM FOR SEATING ON SAID FORMATION; A PLURALITY OF BEARINGS MOUNTED IN SAID PUMPING MEMBER ALONG SAID FORMATION, SAID BEARINGS HAVING AN APERTURE PASSING THERETHROUGH AND A HOLLOW SPHERICAL SOCKET ALONG SAID APERTURE IN THE PLANE OF SAID PUMP MEMBER; A PLURALITY OF PINS SECURING SAID SHUTTERS TOGETHER, EACH PIN PASSING THROUGH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID PINS COOPERATING WITH BEARINGS; AND A BALL ON EACH OF SAID PINS COOPERATING WITH THE SPHERICAL SOCKET OF THE RESPECTIVE BEARING, WHEREBY SAID PUMPING MEMBER IS CAPABLE OF ANGULAR MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHUTTERS. 